Tuesday, June 12, 2007

So Hu Jintao had some sort of beef or Peking Duck against the content of my posts and I was unable to access this particular blog the last few days of the trip. I got back on Sunday, kissed my doll Misty like they do in the motion pictures, and am now engaged in the diplomatic effort to convince my body to consume dairy products with no foul repercussions. Tucked into some fondue sans lederhosen last night, so far so good.The above pic is of me pulling a face that suggests I'm intrigued with the architecture of the Beijing performing arts complex currently under construction. Now I certainly was impressed with the style and whatnot, but perhaps this face hides the truth that the discipline/profession of architecture is merely subservient to landscape architecture. The above compostition could well be a poster depicting a man's hypocritcal nature. How could a pulled face whose center is not more than 12 inches from the bearer's heart so betray the latter? I'm less than swine.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

I had a fabulous weekend. I went to sunny California to visit the fam. The flights were exhausting because of the layovers but it was all worth it. I spent Saturday with my Mom. Throughout the day between shopping and errands we got to visit with aunt Carol, my cousin Stacie, and aunt Peg. It is always hard so see everyone when I’m at home so it was nice to have the chance this time. We both got started on projects. I started the shunshine on her wall (as seen above) and she made me curtains for my round room. It will be so cute when they are up (pictures to come - as soon as Wade gets home with our camera).

Sunday I went to church in the morning and the rest of the day was reserved for my Dad. We had a great day. Dad, Madelyn and I just hung out, spending most of our time looking at model homes in Antioch and Brentwood. I love to go through and open house or model home and see how it’s laid out and decorated.

Between model homes we stopped to visit Grandma Maxine. She is so nice and happy in her old age, a different grandma than the one from my youth. Dad told stories I’ve never heard before about his childhood and about the Navy. It was a fun visit. We had tried to get Grandma to come out to eat with us but that wasn’t happening. Leaving the house makes her a little nervous and she is very content just where she is at. She missed a yummy dinner at Johnny Carino’s.

Monday was my last day and I needed every minute to finish up that sunshine. I still have a few finishing touches to make that will have to wait till my next trip but I think I found a pretty good stopping place. Mom finished my curtains just in time – she had to make 10. I hung one up this morning and they are so cute! They make a big difference.

A pagoda at summer palace in Chengde, strolled around there yesterday, visited a few Lama Buddhist temples today. Got a superb massage, not one of those sketchy ones you often hear about, just one based on the ancient science of blah blah blah with elements introduced from modern methods of (yawn). The friendly asian chap who handled me beat the crap out of me, but it felt spectacular afterwords. Magic.

While on the topic of odd intimate experiences, I was measured for a custom suit the other day. When I collect the articles on Thursday, I suspect they will fit as well as my own skin, as the tailor left no guesswork when he goes to assemble the fabric. A fellow has not truly felt vulnerable until he has stood in the middle of a busy shop with sundry measuring tape configurations around his netherregions. Until now I've made it a personal tenet to embrace the cultures of the world and to be tolerant. To hell with that, some of these people are freaks!

Saturday, June 2, 2007

A fitting name for a fine wall. Miraculous, marvelous, magnificent; a splendid barricade. I worked up a fair lather on my brow negotiating its topography, at the time of this cyber jot, I reek of a mans armpit. No picture today as the computer I'm using has no desire to facilitate the use of my cameras' images or the images on my jump drive. Perhaps you may google image search the great wall at Badaling or a like-worded search to view pictures of the section I visited. I may attach personal pics as future venues for such digital communiques will permit.As for my stomach issues of yesterday, history. Woke up this morning as the captain of this vessell, no outside or inside force could trump this commanders will. I will say that although the affliction has passed, I cannot claim to be 100%, for I am aware that my tall and slendor self is incomplete without and has a physiological need for my sweet Misty Brook. More than air and more than food does this pasty amassing of dust yearn to be squeezed by Her Lovliness. I want to kiss her precisely on the lips immediately, and until such an arrangement transpires, I cannot wander fully upright or sincerely display a meaningful smile.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Another stolen image, this time a shot of the marble boat at Summer Palace. It was a tricky day to fully admire the merits of the construction of a boat made of marble as my poor tummy experienced some moderate turbulence through the morning and into the afternoon, possibly from ingesting some DDT-laced green onions in a delicious chinese breakfast burrito. It was a delicate dance trying to immerse myself in the landscape and maintain my poise by not allowing any type of disgusting explosion.